Statement of the Independent Council of Roma of SerbiaOn the Vatican Bank Lawsuit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE26-02-2010

Beograd: The lawsuit,

Alperin v. Vatican Bank

, has given hope to the Roma people of Serbia that theinjustices of the Second World War might finally be addressed. But the U.S Ninth Circuit. Appellate Courtdecision of December 30, 2010 granting immunity to the Vatican Bank for war crimes is a greatdisappointment. The US Courts can no longer be considered hospitable to human rights cases. The VaticanBank has been granted immunity to commit crimes.There can be no immunity for complicity in genocide. By laundering the gold teeth of our relatives, theVatican Bank joined with the Ustasha butchers and mad men who terrorized Yugoslavia during the SecondWorld – killing, raping, and looting with impunity. Now the US Court system has seemingly absolved thesekillers of any guilt through its actions.There is irrefutable evidence in the form of statements of the witnesses, authenticated historical documents,and transcripts that our lawyer, Dr. Jonathan Levy, and others have submitted to the court.The Vatican Bank is not a religious institution but is in fact well known through out the world for moneylaundering. It stands for illegal profiteering and not religion.The US Courts have set back the cause of human rights to the dark days of the Second World War through itsstudied indifference to our plight. The US Courts remind us of Pope Pius XII who while feigning holinessencouraged the Nazis and Ustasha to commit genocide due to his inaction.Today the vaults of the Vatican Bank still gleam with our ancestor’s gold. This blood stained gold was boughtdearly with the lives of our kin and is now retained ironically with the help of the courts of the so calledformer champion of liberty, the United States.Because of all these facts:Independent Council of Roma of Serbia urges U.S. State Court of Appeals for the Ninth District toimmediately revoke the unjust decision in the interest of justice.This shameful ruling is anti-Gypsy and anti-Roma. Further it tarnishes the reputation of the United Statescourts internationally.The message of the US Courts is unmistakable – the lives of Roma are worthless in their eyes when comparedto the golden allure of the Vatican. The message to neo Nazis, fascists, and racists everywhere is clear as well– it is OK to kill and rob Roma as long as you can make a legal argument for immunity.